Iridescent
by Qu1ntus5
Summary: Sometimes, a little time away can help clear some conflicts that are in your mind as you try to find your best friend, and maybe determine the feelings in your heart.


The first thing Marco Diaz felt was a sense of tranquility. It wouldn't last long, however, as he woke up in a daze. He saw nothing but the moon and the stars that illuminate the night… and the snow. He also saw the snow fall. He tried to sit up, which he did, but he moaned in pain as he felt a lot of it emanating from his right side. His hand reached out to touch it, and looked down at it. A dark red shade stained his hoodie and the snow on the side. Both looked frozen. He then realized that it was his own blood. He reached down for his fanny pack. He always brought it with him wherever he went, even in his adventures with Star. He then took out a gauze wrap and covered and wrapped the wound, and his body, with it, also removing his hoodie and wrapping it around himself. He then took out some aspirin and took in a few pills, numbing the pain temporarily. The fifteen-year old sighed in relief and stood up.

It was then that the snow stopped falling.

He looked around. There were various buildings in ruins. They were all covered in snow, and they all looked dilapidated. He saw a faded out path that leads to somewhere, and, wondering what lies ahead, and with no goal either, he walked on. As he walked, he tried to remember what happened to him, but he could not, experiencing some mental pain from his head.

He continued to walk aimlessly, simply following the path he was on, wondering where it would take him. It wouldn't take long before his stomach rumbled. He groaned. He wondered how long he was unconscious and how long had he not eaten.

He decided to search the houses nearby for food. So he went through them, searching through every house's kitchen and dining room, hoping to find something he can eat. He was able to find some, and he was also surprised that there were a few houses that still have heat and running water. This confused him, but he certainly did not let this pass him by, cooking the best he could with the limited resources at hand, along with some proper medications and treatment for his wound. He also deciced to rest some more.

Once the morning settled in, he felt much better. He returned to the same path he walked on earlier, this time at a slightly faster pace to regain the lost time he used up. It was then during that walk that he wondered with a frown:

"Where's Star?"

* * *

Dizziness. That is what Star Butterfly had experienced as she woke up, also feeling some pain resonating from her limbs. Her blue dress was a bit dirty, as she had been lying down on the ground for some undetermined time now.

Her eyes were unfamiliar at the sight before her, and she raised up her arm over her eyes, although grunting in slight pain as she did so. The sunshine was almost too blinding for her, until she used her wand to create a shield for her eyes. She then stood up.

She saw nothing but dry grass and dead trees. She walked around, trying to get a feel for the surroundings around her. Eventually, she stopped and sat down, thinking. It wasn't all that normal for her to stop and think, even though she had done so sometimes, but this isn't the fourteen-year old Star anymore. She's now seventeen-and-a-half, just the same age as Marco, shaped by the circumstances and situatuons they both experienced. It was due to those that made her more competent, with the wand and with herself, become smarter with her decisions, and ultimately, become even more understanding of others.

She lied down on the plains.

Her thoughts traversed. From what happened (which she could only remember bits and pieces of it), to where she was, to why she was in a bit of pain, to Marco.

Marco.

That's right. She wondered where her best friend was. This world, or heck, dimension, probably, was one they have never went into before. Possibly for good reason too.

This world looked dead. Nothing resided. Everywhere it looked like as if the apocalpyse had taken a small detour and took a break in this barren wasteland. However, the strangest thing was that there were no signs of any living creature, or better yet, any living creature remotely dead _at all_. No corpses, no entrails, no heads... there was nothing like that in this world. One other thing that was strange to Star was a clear pathway, starting from her position.

With nothing but herself, her wand, her worry, and her curiosity, she stood up and followed the path, unaware of what lies ahead of her way.

Noontime approached.

She came across a small makeshift house. The door was shut, there were no windows, and it was colored like olive white. She went forward and opened it.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She called out. No response. She decided to look around and see if there's anything worth getting.

The house interior wasn't much. There's the living room she's in, the bathroom, the kitchen and dining room, and the bedroom. She decided to check the room she's currently in first.

There were some old magazines on a table. There was also a tv, but the remote was nowhere to be seen. There wasn't anything else of relevant curiosity to her, so she moved on to check the bathroom.

She was surprised at how clean it was. No dirt, dust, or anything. There were still some stuff there, like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and the like. She figured, _'Nothing of importance here either.'_

Next was the kitchen and dining room.

She found some cans of food, clean water, and unopened packs of biscuits, along with clean plates and utensils. In fact, when she checked the kitchen sink, nothing dirty was there. However, there wasn't any heat running.

Well, at least she has her wand, so there's that.

She wasn't as much of a good cook compared to Marco, but she's cooked up decent stuff too. With that, she figured to take a break. She doesn't remember the last time she ate, but she cared nothing about it nonetheless.

"Super Convenient Ignition Flame." She chanted quietly, as she heated up the stove with her wand. No less than fifteen minutes later was she done and had set up the table. She sat down, placed her wand next to her, and began to eat.

 _'Hmmm... not as good as Marco's awesome cooking, but it'll do. It ain't bad anyway.'_ She thought as she took another bite. Unintentionally, it turned to her concern for him. She missed him a lot now. She could use the scissors to try and find him, but it would be useless, as she doesn't even know where the hell he is.

She finished up. She washed the dish and utensils and placed them to dry. Even though no one seemed to be home, she was taught to always respect the home, and it would be rude if she just left what she had done unclean or untidy.

Star resumed her search, taking what's left of the biscuit packs for future consumption and going to the bedroom.

It was colored light green, just like her old room at Marco's. She searched up the closets, and found numerous amounts of women's clothing. They were just about her size too. She had to admit, the person who lived here must've been somewhat alright with their money, if the clothes were of any indication. The space underneath the shelves of the girl clothes were more shelves, this time for a guy.

Two people must've been living here together, she concluded. Either way, she decided to fit some of the female clothing. She fell asleep soon after.

When she came out of the bedroom, her clothes were now different. She kept her old green dress in her storage space (that is, inside her wand) for a blue blouse and green skirt. She still wore her headband and pair of shoes that she has always worn. For some reason they always seemed to fit her, but she paid it no mind. She liked the new clothes she wore now. It was a nice change of pace to wear new clothes.

She was now done with the house. She prepared to leave and traverse once more. But before she did, something caught her attention.

It was a red bracelet, nothing more. It reminded her of the boy's liking of the color red. She smiled.

"I think he'll love this." She took it and wore it on her right arm. She looked around once more, making sure there was nothing left that interested her. Satisfied, she now exited the house and followed the path.

* * *

It was now nightfall.

Marco continued to walk, despite the only light source to guide him was the moon. He thought about Star, and if she was alright. Sure back then he was the Safe Kid, but now that moniker was gone, now only used to tease his past years, courtesy of Star. Now, his concern was reaching a new level. He had never felt this way before.

Sure, there was Jackie, but his crush on her had waned when he began to spend more time with Star. Not to mention, there's Levi being her best friend too. He smiled at that.

 _'I don't think I'll mind seeing them together. He certainly has been closer to her than I have. I guess that crush was ultimately nothing. There's Janna, and besides, there's always Star... wait, did I just think about that? Do I really...'_ He paused for a moment, shaking his head after. No, that would be incredulous.

Janna was definitely out of the picture. She already had someone else now. But Star... would this be something new for him?

In all honesty, Marco had never truly felt being in love. He realized that his longtime crush on Jackie was simply that, nothing more than a crush. In Star, he felt things he never felt when he liked the blonde skateboarder. He kept convincing himself then that his feelings for Star were as his best friend. Though as times passed, he began to notice her more.

But eventually, he mustered up the courage to at least try to ask Jackie out, just to see where they'll end up. The first try, back during that dance, was successful, but in eventual realization, they both decided to call it off. Now, they're pretty much good friends. Whenever he had problems in his feelings regarding Star, he always went to her for help. Well, her and Levi. But he was also a big help. They gave him advice on a lot of things. The two of them became a big part in how Marco's relationship with Star would come forward.

And even then, he still didn't budge. He feared about losing his friendship with Star if they did become together and eventually didn't work out.

However, maybe this time of isolation between the two, _long_ isolation, would be the push that will make this happen.

Still, Marco couldn't remember why he had gotten in this world. It brought him pain when he tried to remember.

He wondered how far this path will go, and how far he'll go.

Great, now he definitely confirmed that the song by that Moana girl was now stuck in his head. If only he didn't watch that movie with Star at the cinemas...

He thought back to it again. Was that time a date? Was it a friendly hangout? All these things made him a bit confused, until he remembered one constant thing in that time.

They were holding hands together, never once breaking contact, until they both parted to their rooms to sleep. Also, she would unconsciously lean onto him, but he never did notice much, and when he did, he smiled at that, even leaning onto her. At that realization, he blushed. He wondered if Star remembered that too. So it was most definitely a date.

Was it? No, it was a date for sure. An unspoken date.

As he thought about so many other times they've been together in their adventures, he realized how much he was so concerned for her when she was in her worst. How much he wanted to be with her. How much he wanted to hold her close to him, reassure her that things will be okay. How much he wanted to... tell her that he loved her.

Damn it all he loved her! Why did it take forever for him to realize that?! Everything was so obvious! It was only that he kept on refusing to accept that thought.

He was afraid. Afraid of what will happen if... no, he did not want to think like that. He had to find his love. That bridge can be crossed and burned when he found her.

Now, he still didn't feel the need to sleep. He didn't feel his eyes droop, he didn't feel his body become exhausted, he didn't feel the need to stop and rest. So he continued to march (walk) on. He wanted... no... _needed to find Star._ If what his heart told him was true, then he was sure she felt the same way with him too.

* * *

Star's path was illuminated with her wand. Luckily it had a lot of magic charge. She didn't need to worry about her wand dying all so suddenly.

As she walked on, she remembered her various rendezvous with Levi. Still considered siblings to each other, they'd go to each other in their times of need. Most of those times, it was night, when everyone else was asleep.

He really was such a brother to her. He was her sibling that could've been. For Levi, she was the one person he counted on the most, more than anyone else, even though that position might eventually become usurped by Jackie, his... well, Star couldn't tell what the two are really.

Were they now together? Were they still besties? Those two thoughts were what plagued her mind about them.

And unfortunately, this also applied to her and Marco. Girlfriend/Boyfriend? Lovers? Partners? Still besties? This all gave her a huge headache. Sometimes Marco can be a bit infuriating, counting that time from the Blood Moon Ball, but he meant well. Sometimes she herself can be a bit infuriating too, what with the countless events she had began, but Marco was always there for her, in every step of the turn. Or was it way? She shrugged at that thought.

Does she love him? Does he love her? Will this change their relationship in any way or another?

More questions came like a locust swarm. She stopped walking and cleared her head with meditation. It went over quickly, and she continued, making up for lost time.

Now, where was she again? Oh, right.

 _Marco._

Love was an issue she doesn't have much expertise in. Sure she once had been in a relationship with Tom, but it was anything but when he tried to be a control freak. Coupled with his anger problems, it was volatile. While there were good points in their old relationship, like when he gave her the demon horned headband, it became obvious to Star that this was once of the worst decisions she made.

Then there was her crush on Oskar, but it soon faded a quiet death when she realized of her crush on Marco. She thought if it was also merely a crush, but what had happened over the years definitely proved that her crush on him turned into love for the first person she genuinely ever met on Earth. Well, this answered her question rather quickly.

She _does_ love Marco Diaz. The realization might have been a bit overdue, but regardless it was still there. Damn it she would die for him if it were the case. She now had a resolve to find him quickly, so that she can tell him and see his reaction and laugh and kiss him.

She just hoped that it'll be the same with the boy that she loved so much.

Marco yelled out in pain as he crashed to the ground, clutching his head. Somewhere, so did Star.

 _'I remember now...'_

* * *

It was like it was yesterday, as if these words hadn't been used enough already in so many others...

They had planned to confess to each other that day. That finally, 'Starco', as what everyone's calling, would be realized.

They would've been well on their way to being lovers, if not for the interruption that halted it.

"Ludo!" Star said, turning to the diminuitive yet fearsome looking avian monster. His time with his own wand certainly helped well, combined with the brief training he had with the spellbook. He held the wand on his left. Many monsters appeared on his side.

"Hello, Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz." He greeted with a wide grin.

"This will be our last meeting, because I will destroy you, NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!" He spoke with extreme malice and hatred. The two readied themselves. Levi and Jackie arrived.

"We'll back you two up. This was supposed to be your special day, but we'll make sure to make them pay." Levi said. Jackie nodded.

"DESTROY THEM!" Ludo led the charge, his wand glowing a vicious green.

The battle was long and ardurous, but neither side was giving in. Ludo grew frustrated with both himself and the monsters with him. He decided enough was enough.

"I don't care what happens to my body now... I'll destroy you all... EVEN IF IT TAKES MY OWN LIFE!" He used his wand to make an explosion, drawing everyone away.

It was then that he began to quietly speak in a chant unknown to most, except the Mewnians. Which meant that if Star was hearing him through the smoke, then she would realize what spell he would be using, and would react in horror at the dark spell he was about to unleash.

She was.

"Ludo, NO!"

No use. The chant was finished, and a huge explosion rippled through the area.

The spell was a sacrificial spell of the caster, resulting in a huge apocalyptic explosion, ripping through a large area radius of the Earth dimension. The last of Ludo was a maniacal grin as he hauntingly laughed, turning into ashes that flew away with the wind.

Everyone was blown away with so much force. Marco, as he crashed on the ground with Star, he saw something come her way.

A metal rod. He widened his eyes in horror.

"STAR!" He pushed her away, and he was pierced through his right side. He screamed in pain as he laid down.

"MARCO!" She came over to him. Together they pulled out the rod from his side. Blood poured slowly, and he was coughing out some himself.

"Ugh... damn... I guess I really blew it this time, didn't I?" He chuckled, but coughed more.

"Just lie still, Marco. Don't worry."

"I guess things just... didn't work out right... of all the days..."

"Please, Marco... just, please, be quiet. You'll spill more blood if you keep moving."

Star waved her wand over his body. An ethereal glow shined brightly. It didn't do much, but it had reduced the gaping wound in his body. But it did not matter much.

"Star..." He was growing deathly pale.

"Yes, Marco?"

"I think I'm seeing a bright light..."

She moved towards him so that her face is just a few inches above Marco. "Better?"

"Much, thank you." He coughed up a bit more.

"Star, if I'm going to die now..."

"Don't say that you idiot!"

"Just know that I... I..." Softly breathing, he placed his hand behind her head and pushed it towards him. Their lips met. The blonde princess widened her eyes but accepted it regardless. He released his hand on her head, but she used hers to caress his cheeks. The two ended their kiss.

"I love you, Star." He said, closing his eyes.

She looked at him in shock, and in desperation, chanted a spell. The spell's glow covered his body.

"Damn it Marco, I love you too, but please don't die now!" She hoped the spell would reach him.

However, her eyes glazed over. The spell she chanted had taken over her. In a trance, she took out her scissors and cut open a portal. She gently carried his body and laid him down in the land where the portal took her. Using it again, she cut open a portal and walked through it. She laid down, and closed her eyes, the spell's hold on her vanished. By this point, the memory had ended. The spell Star used needed a temporary exchange, and so the memories of that day were selcted by it to be locked away, in exchange for the boy's survival. The connection between their memories was love, and so in order for them to remember, they needed to realize the void left in their heart, the missing piece. In this case, the love the two had for each other.

Just after the portal disappeared, the other two had met up again.

"Have you seen them, Levi?" Jackie asked. The dust had settled, leaving nothing but the dry ground left by the explosion.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't ben able too either." He told her. They embraced, with Jackie crying onto his chest.

"Please be alright you two... please be alright." She only said.

He hugged her harder, as a few tears leaked from his eyes as well.

Star's eyes widened in realization. _'I know where he is!'_ She cut open the portal and ran through it. Marco was running back to the place where he had woken up.

The portal opened just as Marco came back. She came out running to him. They collided in an warm embrace, and they stared into each other.

"Marco?"

"Yes, Star?"

"I love you." Those were all the words he needed, and their lips met in a passionate entanglement. The recurring pain was almost gone, like as if the spell had one last trick up its sleeve. Star wrapped her arms around his neck, while Marco was content to just hold her by her waist. Soon they released for air.

"Why only now?" Marco wondered, voicing both their thoughts.

"I guess we were just too scared or oblivious." Star reasoned.

"Do you think this will work out?"

"I honestly don't know. I'm... I'm scared... of losing our friendship, our bond... you."

"I'm scared too. I don't want to lose that either. But it's worth a shot, right? To follow our hearts and take the chance with the one I love? I'm willing to bet it all. Are you?"

"To risk everything for you? I'd be happy to. You're the only one I can love."

It was only a day later on Earth that the two had returned, hand in hand. They met up with Levi and Jackie, showed that they were now together, and got cheered loudly in return. Wishes of good luck and blessings were shared. They told this to their parents, and both were more thrilled than ever. Even _Tom_ was alright with it. Wished them the best too.

Sure their first few dates were awkward, but once they had settled on their comfort zones, it was then that they really enjoyed being together. Not like as if they already haven't even before they were now in a relationship.

It's been more than a month now.

"Hey Marco?" She asked as they watched a movie, their heads leaning on each other for support, hands intertwined. Marco was now wearing the red bracelet she had found for him back that day, and as she had thought, he loved it.

"Yes, Star?"

"If the laws would allow it... in a few years... when we graduate from college... would you be willing to stay in Mewni? As my... King? And... me as your Queen?"

This made Marco pause. Star turned away, embarrassed and saddened. _'I knew I shouldn't have asked him. It might be too much of a burden for him. I've already dragged him far enough. I knew-'_

"Star?" He broke her chain of thought and she turned back to look at him. He gave her a quick kiss and a smile.

"You're already my Queen."

* * *

 **AN:** **Review, everyone. I'd appreciate the feedback and constructive criticism.**

 **(Updated AN - 1/19/17): If anyone's wondering, Levi's my OC from my other story, Levi & Jackie. Now, for those who have been following that story, while this story is set in that story, this is more of a non-canon thing, meaning it doesn't affect that story one way or another. This is still a Starco-focused one-shot. I just thought of putting him and Jackie there because they will have helped him out a lot too on Star. I do apologize if anyone was confused by it.**


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